Lagos State’s Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed the startling discovery of 86 partitioned rooms beneath the Dolphin Estate Bridge on Lagos Island.
These rooms, measuring 10×10 and 12×10, were reportedly being rented out to tenants, who were allegedly paying N250,000 per annum for the makeshift accommodations.
Wahab took to X.com to share this information, accompanied by videos showcasing the enforcement team’s efforts in removing all structures, including a container utilised for various illegal activities, from beneath the bridge.
Further confirmation came from Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, who affirmed the eviction of squatters from beneath the bridge towards Dolphin Estate in Ikoyi due to illegal settlement and environmental violations. Rotimi-Akodu highlighted that 23 individuals were apprehended during the eviction, conducted by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), also known as KAI.
According to Rotimi-Akodu, the bridge had been home to 86 partitioned rooms, with occupants paying an average rent of N250,000 per annum. He emphasized the dangers posed by these illegal settlements, citing the use of wood materials for shelter construction, gas cylinders, and stored fuel for generators as potential hazards.
The Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, in collaboration with KAI, vowed to maintain vigilance over the area to prevent further encroachments and uphold environmental standards.